Jay Ward

Jay Ward (born July 13, 2000) is an American professional football safety for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). The Minnesota Vikings selected Ward in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft. He played college football for the LSU Tigers.

Early life Ward was born in Moultrie, Georgia. He had two brothers who also played football up to the collegiate level. He attended Colquitt County High School and was one of the school's all-time best defensive backs, recording a career total of 11 interceptions. He also competed in track and field, winning a regional championship.

College career Ward saw immediate playing time as a true freshman in 2019, appearing in 13 games during the team's national championship season, mainly on special teams.

In 2021, Ward moved from cornerback to safety and started all 11 games, posting 71 tackles, six pass deflections, two interceptions and one forced fumble. He appeared in a total of 13 games that year, starting nine, and posted 60 tackles, in addition to one interception and a fumble return for a touchdown. After the season, Ward declared for the NFL Draft.

Professional career

The Minnesota Vikings drafted Ward in the fourth round, 134th overall, of the 2023 NFL draft. As a rookie, he appeared in all 17 games. He recorded one fumble recovery in the 2023 season.

NFL career statistics Legend Bold Career high

Regular season Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck TFL Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD FF Fmb FR Yds TD 2023 MIN 17 0 8 5 3 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2024 MIN 16 0 6 4 2 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2025 MIN 17 5 27 13 14 0.0 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0Career 50 5 41 22 19 0.0 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0

Postseason Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck TFL Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD FF Fmb FR Yds TD 2024 MIN 1 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Career 1 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0